Greek authorities carried out a surprise overnight operation at Agios Stefanos Prison in Patras, western Greece. According to local media reports, officers from Greece’s so-called “Greek FBI” — a specialized police unit focused on organized crime and serious offenses — entered the correctional facility shortly after 2 a.m. and conducted extensive searches across numerous prison cells.
During the operation, investigators discovered and confiscated several mobile phones, which are banned inside Greek prisons. The searches were carried out in multiple areas of the detention facility as part of a broader inspection effort.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the number of devices seized or whether additional illegal items were found during the raid.
Officials are now examining the evidence collected during the operation as investigations continue.
Eight Inmate Deaths in Two Months
The raid comes as Agios Stefanos Prison has been under increased scrutiny following a series of inmate deaths at the facility, although authorities have not indicated that the overnight operation is connected to those incidents.
Earlier on Friday, local reports said a 70-year-old inmate had died at the Patras prison, bringing the number of prisoner deaths recorded at Agios Stefanos to eight over the past two months. Another inmate had reportedly died in the preceding days.
The deaths have drawn scrutiny from the Patras Medical Association and the Patras Bar Association, with both organizations calling for inspections and inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the fatalities.
Authorities have not linked the deaths to the prison searches, and there is no indication that the overnight raid is related to the recent fatalities.
